1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of this invention pertains to bicycles and more particularly to the incorporating of a shock absorbing apparatus in association with the front fork which provides an interconnection between the handlebar assembly and the front wheel of the bicycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Bicycles have been in long usage by human beings. In many countries, bicycles are the primary mode of transportation.
It is common to construct bicycles to have a front wheel and a rear wheel with there being a solid rigid connection between both wheels and the frame of the bicycle with no shock absorbing arrangement incorporated therebetween. During the time that bicycles are operated on perfectly paved roads, there is little need for any king of shock absorbing arrangement. However, when a bicycle incurs a chuckhole or curb, a shock absorbing arrangement would definitely be desirable because that shock is transferred directly through the wheels of the bicycle to the operator.
Also, it is exceedingly common that bicycles are operated on unpaved roads. A very common type of bicycle that has now accepted widespread usage is what is referred to as a "mountain bike". The mountain bike is designed for "off road" travel. It is readily apparent that any bike that is traversing in unpaved terrain is constantly receiving shocks that are transmitted to the operator. This transmission of shock is capable of causing injury though in most instances such continuous transmission of shocks cause the operator to become prematurely exhausted.
Also, some bicycles are used in racing. When racing a bicycle, the incorporation of a shock absorbing assembly in conjunction with the bicycle greatly diminishes the stress and strain to which the operator is subjected. This means that the racer that utilizes the shock absorbing arrangement in conjunction with a bicycle has a definite competitive advantage over a racer that does not use such a device.
Previously, there have been attempts at designing a shock absorbing arrangement in conjunction with a bicycle. However, these devices have been quite complex in construction and require extensive modification of the front wheel supporting structure of a bicycle. Also, these devices have been quite expensive and because of this expense, widespread usage has not resulted. Still further, it has not been known to construct a shock absorbing and energy damping apparatus that is designed to merely replace existing parts on a bicycle eliminating the need for custom modification of the bicycle.